Laguna Beach High School was founded in 1934 and is the only high school in the Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). The School Profile 2025-26 lists 820 students and 51 teachers, and the school describes itself as the smallest public high school in Orange County. In the U.S. News 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings, the school ranks No. 76 in California and No. 536 nationally, and among Orange County public high schools it is No. 8 in Orange County (U.S. News 2026-27). This page does not rate the school. It answers one question: how a student at this school should plan the four high school years.
How Laguna Beach High School Is Structured for College Admissions
Public data point to four features of this school.
First, the school is small but offers a substantial number of AP courses. The 2026-27 course catalog offers 27 AP courses. The School Profile reports that in 2025, AP courses had 885 enrollment seats and 842 exams were taken, with a school-reported pass rate of 95%; it should be noted that adding the subject rows yields only 831 exams, and the school does not explain the difference. The subject with the most exams was AP US History (118 exams), and the smallest subjects (AP Chinese and AP 2-D Art and Design) had only 7 exams each.
Second, weighting is broader than in Irvine, and the school calculates class rank. All AP courses and most UC-approved honors courses add 1 point for grades of C or higher, and the school uses the academic weighted GPA to calculate class rank and publishes the minimum GPA for each percentile band: for the class of 2025, the threshold for the top 10% was 4.44.
Third, standardized test scores are relatively high. For the class of 2025, the average SAT Math score was 615 and the average Reading and Writing score was 631, compared with California averages of 537 and 546; the average ACT composite was 28.9, compared with a California average of 26.5.
Fourth, participation in career technical and dual enrollment courses is broad. The School Profile shows that 27% of students completed a Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway, 36% took a dual enrollment course, and 85% earned college credit through CTE, AP, or dual enrollment courses.
How to Get Into This School
The conclusion first: only students who live within the Laguna Beach Unified School District boundaries can enroll; incoming interdistrict transfers are denied as a rule.
Route 1: Residents of the District
- The district has only this one high school, and students enroll directly based on home address, with no exam and no application
- Register through the district's Aeries online system (for the 2026-27 school year, registration opened on February 11, 2026) and upload a residency affidavit and two proofs of address, such as a mortgage statement, lease, or utility bill
- After the registration materials are approved, the school schedules a course selection meeting with a counselor; grade 9 core courses are placed based on grades, assessment data, and current teacher recommendations
- Before each school year begins, families must pass the district's annual residency verification
Route 2: Students From Outside the District (Including Irvine Families)
- Under Board Policy BP 5117, the district accepts interdistrict transfer agreements for the following school year from March 1 to May 15 each year, and the application must first be approved by the district of residence
- The district website states that all incoming transfer requests are denied, with only two exceptions: a parent is a full-time permanent employee of the district, or a student who completed grade 11 at this school and then moved out of the district is applying to return to complete grade 12
- Families who are denied may appeal to the county board of education within 30 calendar days of the final denial
| Enrollment method | Students who live within the Laguna Beach Unified School District attend this school based on their home address. It is the only high school in the district, with no entrance exam and no application. New students must first register through the district's Aeries online system and upload a residency affidavit and two proofs of address (such as a mortgage statement, lease, or utility bill), and the district conducts an annual residency verification before each school year begins |
|---|---|
| Entrance exam and placement | There is no entrance exam. Placement in grade 9 core courses is determined by the school based on academic performance, grades, assessment data, and current teacher recommendations; placement in honors courses also considers a readiness test. Grade 9 English Honors requires an A in grade 8 English and a teacher recommendation |
| Registration dates | Registration for new students for the 2026-27 school year opened on February 11, 2026. New students from middle schools outside the district (other than Thurston Middle School) must first complete registration; after the materials are approved, a counseling assistant contacts the family in mid-May or early August to schedule a course selection meeting. Grade 8 students at the district's Thurston Middle School select courses together in the spring |
| Information sessions | 8th Grade Family Night: on March 11, 2026, an athletics introduction in the theater at 5:00 p.m., the main presentation at 5:30, and a program fair in the quad at 6:30; the school's 2026-27 calendar schedules the next one for March 10, 2027 |
| Students from outside the district | Under Board Policy BP 5117, the district accepts Interdistrict Transfer Agreements for the following school year from March 1 to May 15 each year, and the application must first be approved by the district of residence. The district website states that all transfer requests are denied, with only two exceptions: a parent is a full-time permanent employee of the Laguna Beach Unified School District (a classified employee working 6 to 8 hours a day, or a teacher with a teaching load of 60% or more), or a student who completed grade 11 at this school and then moved out of the district is applying to return to complete grade 12. Families who are denied may appeal to the county board of education within 30 calendar days of the final denial |
| Transfers within the district | The district has only one high school, and every residence in the district is assigned to this school, so there are no transfers between high schools within the district |
| Requirements after enrollment | Students who live in the district must pass the Annual Residency Verification before each school year begins. Students attending under an interdistrict agreement renew the agreement every year; a student attending under an agreement in grade 10 who wishes to continue in grades 11 to 12 will not have the agreement revoked after grade 10, while a first-time application in grade 11 or 12 still requires an agreement |
Four Differences From the Five Irvine High Schools
When Irvine families compare this school, the first thing to understand is four rules. The left column shows the official rules of Laguna Beach High School, and the right column shows the practice at the five comprehensive high schools of the Irvine Unified School District.
| Item | Laguna Beach High School | Five Irvine high schools |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment method | Residents of the district only; incoming interdistrict transfers are all denied, with exceptions only for children of full-time district employees and for students who completed grade 11 and then moved out of the district (district transfer policy page) | Assigned by home address within attendance areas |
| Math system (Integrated Math or traditional algebra sequence) | Traditional sequence: Algebra 1, Geometry (or Geometry Accelerated), Algebra 2 (or Algebra 2 Honors), then AP Precalculus and AP Calculus (2026-27 course catalog) | Integrated Math I, II, and III |
| Whether honors courses are weighted | Mostly weighted: all AP courses and most honors courses add 1 point for grades of C or higher; English 9 Honors and Spanish 2 and 3 Honors are not weighted (the "AP/Honors (Weighted)" column of the course catalog and the Student Handbook) | Honors courses are not weighted; only AP courses and some fourth- and fifth-year world language courses receive added points |
| Whether grade 9 students can take AP | Yes: AP Human Geography and AP Computer Science Principles both appear on the grade 9 course selection sheet | Generally no, with the exception of AP Human Geography at Woodbridge High School |
Twelve Years of UC Application Data: Applicants, Admit Rates, and GPA
The following data come from UC Infocenter, published by the University of California Office of the President, reported by high school of origin, and cover fall admission from 2014 to 2025. They answer two questions: how many Laguna Beach High School students apply to and are admitted by the University of California each year, and what GPA admitted students hold. GPA is the UC weighted, capped GPA, which counts only courses taken in grades 10 and 11. Because the school is small, UC does not publish cells with very small numbers; every blank in the charts reflects this withholding, not an absence of applicants.
The ten lines are hard to tell apart where they overlap. Hover over any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; click to keep it highlighted, and click again to clear it.Tap any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; tap again to clear it.
Official UC data · By high school of origin · 2014–2025
Year-by-Year Data for the Top Six UC Campuses
Parents focus most on six campuses: Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Davis. The table lists, by year, the number of Laguna Beach High School students who applied to, were admitted by, and enrolled at each campus, along with their average GPA. Use the buttons to switch metrics. Blank cells are values UC did not publish because the numbers are too small.
From 2014 to 2025, the admit rate for Laguna Beach High School applicants to UC Los Angeles fell from 24% to 12%, and to UC Berkeley held steady (21% to 21%); the rate at UC Irvine held steady (40% to 40%).
This table has five data views. Use the buttons below to view admits, applicants, enrollees, admit GPA, and applicant GPA; the button for the current view is highlighted in yellow.
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 13 (21%) | 9 (12%) | 15 (24%) | 21 (31%) | 19 (40%) | 15 (38%) |
| 2024 | 5 (7%) | 12 (12%) | 22 (25%) | 25 (26%) | 21 (30%) | 16 (26%) |
| 2023 | 10 (13%) | 12 (13%) | 12 (14%) | 19 (22%) | 15 (30%) | 19 (33%) |
| 2022 | 6 (8%) | 8 (10%) | 9 (11%) | 13 (15%) | 20 (33%) | 16 (31%) |
| 2021 | 19 (31%) | 11 (17%) | 15 (25%) | 12 (21%) | 14 (34%) | 21 (55%) |
| 2020 | 10 (20%) | 10 (15%) | 27 (49%) | 32 (49%) | 16 (36%) | 16 (39%) |
| 2019 | 9 (15%) | 9 (12%) | 10 (14%) | 14 (17%) | 11 (20%) | 12 (23%) |
| 2018 | 13 (21%) | 9 (12%) | 15 (24%) | 20 (28%) | 11 (26%) | 14 (34%) |
| 2017 | 11 (19%) | 13 (20%) | 19 (33%) | 21 (35%) | 15 (39%) | 17 (38%) |
| 2016 | 10 (18%) | 16 (24%) | 18 (32%) | 26 (42%) | 20 (61%) | 22 (56%) |
| 2015 | 9 (21%) | 10 (22%) | 9 (27%) | 16 (40%) | 5 (26%) | 6 (18%) |
| 2014 | 11 (21%) | 12 (24%) | 12 (27%) | 14 (27%) | 16 (40%) | 14 (44%) |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 21% → 21% | ▼ 24% → 12% | ▼ 27% → 24% | ▲ 27% → 31% | ▲ 40% → 40% | ▼ 44% → 38% |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 62 | 75 | 62 | 67 | 47 | 39 |
| 2024 | 71 | 98 | 87 | 98 | 70 | 62 |
| 2023 | 76 | 89 | 87 | 86 | 50 | 57 |
| 2022 | 72 | 83 | 84 | 87 | 61 | 51 |
| 2021 | 62 | 65 | 59 | 57 | 41 | 38 |
| 2020 | 49 | 66 | 55 | 65 | 45 | 41 |
| 2019 | 60 | 75 | 69 | 84 | 55 | 53 |
| 2018 | 61 | 75 | 62 | 71 | 42 | 41 |
| 2017 | 57 | 64 | 57 | 60 | 38 | 45 |
| 2016 | 56 | 67 | 57 | 62 | 33 | 39 |
| 2015 | 43 | 46 | 33 | 40 | 19 | 34 |
| 2014 | 53 | 51 | 44 | 51 | 40 | 32 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 53 → 62 | ▲ 51 → 75 | ▲ 44 → 62 | ▲ 51 → 67 | ▲ 40 → 47 | ▲ 32 → 39 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | — |
| 2024 | — | 7 | 3 | 6 | — | — |
| 2023 | 6 | 9 | — | 4 | 4 | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 6 | — | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 2021 | 14 | 5 | — | 3 | — | 3 |
| 2020 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 5 | — |
| 2019 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 2018 | 9 | 6 | — | 3 | — | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 | 7 | — | 4 | — | — |
| 2016 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 6 | — | 5 |
| 2015 | 4 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — |
| 2014 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 3 | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 7 → 10 | ▼ 6 → 5 | — | — | ▲ 3 → 7 | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.18 | 4.20 | 4.23 | 4.23 | 4.20 | 4.17 |
| 2024 | 4.28 | 4.25 | 4.28 | 4.24 | 4.19 | 4.20 |
| 2023 | 4.23 | 4.21 | 4.21 | 4.19 | 4.21 | 4.22 |
| 2022 | 4.35 | 4.25 | 4.22 | 4.29 | 4.21 | 4.15 |
| 2021 | 4.17 | 4.09 | 4.26 | 4.07 | 4.23 | 4.14 |
| 2020 | 4.25 | 4.03 | 4.20 | 4.11 | 4.01 | 4.18 |
| 2019 | 4.23 | 4.08 | 4.26 | 4.08 | 4.00 | 4.15 |
| 2018 | 4.16 | 4.14 | 4.22 | 4.14 | 4.19 | 4.15 |
| 2017 | 4.23 | 4.14 | 4.19 | 4.19 | 4.15 | 4.16 |
| 2016 | 4.17 | 4.07 | 4.19 | 4.04 | 4.09 | 4.07 |
| 2015 | 4.26 | 4.06 | 4.10 | 4.08 | 4.06 | 4.20 |
| 2014 | 4.08 | 4.18 | 4.20 | 4.07 | 4.14 | 4.04 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 4.08 → 4.18 | ▲ 4.18 → 4.20 | ▲ 4.20 → 4.23 | ▲ 4.07 → 4.23 | ▲ 4.14 → 4.20 | ▲ 4.04 → 4.17 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.09 | 4.08 | 4.03 | 4.02 | 4.04 | 4.03 |
| 2024 | 4.05 | 4.02 | 4.00 | 3.99 | 3.96 | 3.96 |
| 2023 | 4.07 | 4.05 | 3.98 | 3.97 | 4.00 | 3.97 |
| 2022 | 4.13 | 4.13 | 4.08 | 4.09 | 4.07 | 4.02 |
| 2021 | 3.93 | 3.91 | 3.87 | 3.82 | 3.90 | 3.89 |
| 2020 | 4.04 | 4.02 | 4.00 | 3.96 | 3.93 | 3.95 |
| 2019 | 3.97 | 3.88 | 3.88 | 3.84 | 3.84 | 3.85 |
| 2018 | 3.98 | 3.90 | 3.90 | 3.85 | 3.84 | 3.91 |
| 2017 | 3.99 | 3.97 | 3.96 | 3.94 | 3.95 | 3.91 |
| 2016 | 4.01 | 3.97 | 3.94 | 3.86 | 3.87 | 3.86 |
| 2015 | 3.88 | 3.82 | 3.77 | 3.80 | 3.61 | 3.66 |
| 2014 | 3.87 | 3.86 | 3.78 | 3.69 | 3.78 | 3.78 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 3.87 → 4.09 | ▲ 3.86 → 4.08 | ▲ 3.78 → 4.03 | ▲ 3.69 → 4.02 | ▲ 3.78 → 4.04 | ▲ 3.78 → 4.03 |
Applications and Admissions by Campus, Most Recent Year
| UC campus (fall 2025) | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Admit GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 62 | 13 | 21% | 10 | 4.18 |
| UC Los Angeles | 75 | 9 | 12% | 5 | 4.20 |
| UC San Diego | 62 | 15 | 24% | 3 | 4.23 |
| UC Davis | 39 | 15 | 38% | — | 4.17 |
| UC Irvine | 47 | 19 | 40% | 7 | 4.20 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 67 | 21 | 31% | 3 | 4.23 |
| UC Merced | 6 | 6 | 100% | — | 4.03 |
| UC Riverside | 20 | 19 | 95% | — | 3.88 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 33 | 23 | 70% | — | 4.11 |
GPA Weighting Rules and Class Rank
| Weighting rule | The Student Handbook (2026-27) states that regular courses are graded on a 4-point scale (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0), and weighted courses add 1 point for grades of C or higher (A=5, B=4, C=3), with no added point for D or F. Which courses are weighted is determined by the "AP/Honors (Weighted)" column of the course catalog: all AP courses and most UC-approved honors courses are weighted, and a few honors courses are not |
|---|---|
| Weighted courses | All 27 Advanced Placement (AP) courses; English 10 Honors; Algebra 2 Honors; Integrated Science 2 Honors; Spanish 4 Honors and Spanish Literature and Culture Honors; French 3 Honors; Mandarin Chinese 4 Honors; Yearbook 1 / 2 Honors and Newspaper 1 / 2 Honors; Multimedia Design Honors and Graphic Production Technologies Honors; Dance Company Honors; Engineering Manufacturing and Technology Honors and Medical Core Honors; After-school CCA career technical honors courses (marked with an asterisk on the course list), such as Medical/Hospital Careers Honors |
| Honors-level courses that are not weighted | English 9 Honors; Spanish 2 Honors; Spanish 3 Honors; Geometry Accelerated: not an honors course and not weighted |
| Treatment of D and F | The Student Handbook states that the added point applies only to grades of C or higher, with a D earning 1 point and an F earning 0; however, the grading scale in the School Profile 2025-26 assigns 2 points to a D and 1 point to an F in honors and AP courses. The two documents are inconsistent, and this page follows the Student Handbook |
| Class rank | The school calculates class rank: the academic weighted GPA (Academic GPA 9-12 Weighted, which excludes physical education and certain support courses) is used for class rank and for graduation honors. The School Profile publishes the minimum GPA for each percentile band of the class of 2025 (the school calls this RIC, Rank in Class) |
| Repeating a course | A course with an original grade of D or F may be repeated: the new grade and credit are recorded on the transcript, and the original grade remains on the transcript with a repeat notation but no longer counts in the GPA. There are three ways to repeat: retaking the same course in this school's summer school or the following school year, completing online credit recovery at school, or, with prior counselor approval, repeating the course at another accredited institution at the family's expense |
| Outside grades | Courses taken outside school for acceleration or placement are not recorded on this school's transcript; approved CCAP dual enrollment courses may also be recorded on the high school transcript. Whether honors courses from a transfer student's previous school are weighted is reviewed by this school course by course rather than by course title; AP and IB courses are weighted after verification |
This rule shapes course selection and also sets the strategic difference from Irvine high schools. In the Irvine Unified School District, honors courses are not weighted; at Laguna Beach High School, English 10 Honors, Algebra 2 Honors, and Integrated Science 2 Honors are graded on the weighted scale starting in grade 10. Grade 9 is the exception: English 9 Honors is not weighted, and among grade 9 core academic courses only Algebra 2 Honors is weighted; students can also earn weighting through AP Human Geography, AP Computer Science Principles, and arts honors courses such as Yearbook 1 Honors and Newspaper 1 Honors. Another detail is that the added point applies only to grades of C or higher, so a C in a weighted course earns the same grade points as a B in a regular course.
The table below shows the minimum academic weighted GPA for each percentile band of the class of 2025, as published in the School Profile 2025-26, which can be used to compare the student’s current weighted GPA.
| Percentile band | Minimum academic weighted GPA |
|---|---|
| Top 2% | 4.62 or higher |
| Top 5% | 4.53 or higher |
| Top 10% | 4.44 or higher |
| Top 20% | 4.38 or higher |
| Top 30% | 4.30 or higher |
| Top 40% | 3.98 or higher |
| Top 50% | 3.79 or higher |
Graduation honors are also calculated from the academic weighted GPA and count grades only through the first semester of grade 12:
| Graduation honor | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Summa Cum Laude | Academic weighted GPA of 4.00 or higher |
| Magna Cum Laude | 3.75 to 3.99 |
| Cum Laude | 3.50 to 3.749 |
| Valedictorian / Salutatorian | Students with the highest and second-highest academic weighted GPA |
Four-Year Timeline
Grade 8
- FebruaryDistrict registration for new students opens in the Aeries system (February 11 in 2026); upload proof of residency
- March8th Grade Family Night (March 11, 2026; scheduled for March 10 in 2027)
- AprilAssociated Student Body (ASB) applications for grade 9: released April 6, 2026, and due April 30; Dance Company Honors auditions in May
- Mid-May or early AugustNew students from middle schools outside the district schedule a course selection meeting with a counselor
Grade 9
- AugustFreshman orientation (August 14, 2026); school begins August 20
- September 2First-semester add/drop deadline; dropping afterward may result in a W/F
- OctoberFLOW Week (October 19 to 23)
- Full yearOption to take AP Human Geography or AP Computer Science Principles; choose either physical education or a school athletic team
- SpringSelect grade 10 courses: whether to enter English 10 Honors, Integrated Science 2 Honors, and AP European History
Grade 10
- Full yearIntegrated Science 2 Honors is the common prerequisite for grade 11 AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 1
- SpringSelect grade 11 courses: AP US History, AP English Literature, and AP Calculus AB or AP Pre-Calculus; students who register for CCA after-school courses before late March receive priority
Grade 11
- October 17PSAT/NMSQT, for grade 11 students, voluntary
- Full yearOption to take Authentic Exploratory Research (AER); state assessments CAASPP and the California Science Test (CAST)
- SpringSelect grade 12 courses: AP English Language, AP Government and Politics with AP Macroeconomics, and AP Calculus BC
Grade 12
- SeptemberUC application workshops and college visit season (college fair on September 30, 2026)
- FallStudents using the Common App must first order transcripts in Parchment before a counselor can submit the school report; UC and CSU applications do not go through Parchment
- May 3 to 14AP exams (2027)
- Before graduationComplete 40 hours of community service; graduation honors are calculated from the academic weighted GPA at the end of the first semester of grade 12
Three milestones actually determine the direction: placement for grade 9 in the spring of grade 8, which decides whether math starts with Geometry Accelerated or regular Geometry; whether the student enters Integrated Science 2 Honors in grade 10, which is the shared prerequisite for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 1 in grade 11; and the add/drop deadline each semester (September 2 and January 19, 2027, for the 2026-27 school year), after which dropping a course may result in a W/F that counts as a failing grade in the GPA.
Clubs and Academic Competitions
The Laguna Beach High School club list is a registration form that students submit each year, and the school does not publish the total number of registered clubs. The academic clubs are listed below.
- LBHS Math Club
- Chemistry Club
- Coding Club
- Girls Who Code Club
- Engineering Club
- STEM Exploration Club
- Ethics in Artificial Intelligence
- Sports Analytics Club
- Economics Club
- Market Analysis Club
- Women in Business
- Finance 4 YOUth
- HOSA Club
- Climate Solutions Society
- Creative Writer's Club
- Media Literacy Club
- Chess Club
- National Honor Society
- Chinese Club
It should be noted separately that several competition-oriented programs at this school operate as elective courses rather than clubs.
- Model United Nations (MUN): run as an elective course; students represent countries at MUN conferences across the country
- Mock Trial: a fall semester course; students compete in a real courtroom and are scored by volunteer attorneys
- Economics Club: the club registration form states that the club plans to enter economics competitions
- HOSA Club: a student club focused on health care careers
The school's club list is a registration form submitted by students and does not state which interscholastic competitions each club enters; the list contains no entries for common competition teams such as Science Olympiad, Speech and Debate, FBLA, DECA, or Academic Decathlon; Model United Nations and Mock Trial are elective courses at this school and do not appear on the club list.
Signature Programs
- Authentic Exploratory Research (AER): An independent research course for grades 11 to 12, UC A-G category g. Students develop their own research questions, are paired with mentors from the school, industry, or universities, conduct a literature review, research design, and primary data collection and analysis, and at the end of the year publish a paper and present at a showcase. The full class meets only once a week, with one additional small-group meeting; the school estimates about 60 hours per semester, half of which is spent on the project itself. The program is modeled on Advanced Authentic Research in the Palo Alto Unified School District
- FLOW Curriculum Theme: FLOW stands for Fire, Land, Ocean, and Water, the four environmental issues most relevant to Laguna Beach. Students study them in sequence from grade 9 to grade 12 across subjects, with shared reading lists and community partnership activities; FLOW Week for the 2026-27 school year runs from October 19 to 23
- Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways: The school lists 9 pathways, each made up of a concentrator course and a capstone course; the School Profile shows that 27% of students completed a pathway.
- Systems Programming: AP Computer Science Principles → AP Computer Science A or Introduction to App Development
- Engineering Design: Engineering Design & Analysis → Engineering Manufacturing and Technology Honors
- Patient Care: Medical Core Honors → Hospital Careers Honors (after-school classes at this school, including an internship)
- Emergency Response: Fire Science → Emergency Medical Technician Honors (both are after-school courses)
- Five arts pathways: Professional Theatre, Dance Choreography, Design, Visual, and Media Arts (yearbook and newspaper), Visual and Commercial Art, and Graphic Design
- College & Career Advantage (CCA) After-School Courses: Career technical courses offered jointly by the Capistrano Unified School District and the Laguna Beach Unified School District, held after school at several South Orange County high schools or online, including robotics, dental assisting, veterinary technology, aviation, and fashion design. The district does not provide transportation; seats for students at this school are limited, and students who registered before March 26, 2026, received priority. Courses marked with an asterisk on the course list can earn community college credit with a grade of B or higher
- CCAP Dual Enrollment (Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College): College and Career Access Pathways dual enrollment courses are offered exclusively for students in this district, tuition-free, and are held online, at this school, or at the community college; grades are recorded on both the community college transcript and this school's transcript. The school-year courses for 2026-27 are Introduction to Business (MGT1) in the fall and Social Media Marketing (ENTR117) in the spring, both registered through Irvine Valley College; summer 2026 also offered courses such as History of Rock Music, Introduction to Psychology, and American Sign Language, each earning 10 credits at this school. The School Profile shows that 36% of students have taken a dual enrollment course
- Model United Nations (MUN) Course: International Relations and Model United Nations is a formal elective, UC A-G category g, meeting on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30, with conferences held across the country. Grade 9 students without MUN experience must complete accompanying training in the first semester; completing three years is the core requirement for joining the school's Rome Frerisen International Relations Society, and this status is noted on the transcript
- Mock Trial Course: A 5-credit course offered only in the fall semester that does not count toward UC A-G. Under the guidance of volunteer attorney coaches, students prepare a fictional criminal case and compete as prosecution and defense in a real courtroom, presided over by a sitting judge
- Academic Support: The Math Lab is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and covers Algebra 1 through AP Calculus; the Writing Lab provides feedback on essays in any subject and on college application essays; students can also use Paper online tutoring and Gale test preparation resources free of charge through the Beachport portal
How to Use the Counseling Office
| Counselors and platform | Four counselors divide students by the first letter of the last name (A-F, G-L, M-R, S-Z), and the School Profile states a counselor-to-student ratio of 208:1; there is also a college and career specialist, a scholarship and financial aid specialist, and a registrar. Students use the Scoir platform through the school's Beachport portal to sign up for college visits, and the College & Career Center hosts admission representatives from more than 100 colleges each year |
|---|---|
| On-campus testing and registration | The PSAT/NMSQT is given at this school on October 17, 2026, for grade 11 students on a voluntary basis. The 2027 AP exams run from May 3 to 14; registration after November 13, 2026, incurs a $40 late fee, and eligible students may apply for a fee reduction. The Student Handbook states that all students enrolled in AP courses should take the May AP exams. The College & Career Center partners with Revolution Prep to provide free PSAT practice tests and workshops |
| Changing and dropping courses | To change or drop a course, students must submit a Request for Schedule Change Form before the deadline and keep at least 5 courses. For the 2026-27 school year, the deadline is September 2 for the first semester and January 19, 2027, for the second semester; dropping after the deadline may result in a W/F |
| Transcripts | Transcripts are requested online through Parchment for about $3.50 each; electronic transcripts are processed in about 2 business days. For Common App applications, students must first place an order in Parchment before a counselor can submit the school report |
| Community college dual enrollment | CCAP dual enrollment courses are tuition-free; students register with Irvine Valley College through the college and career specialist at the College & Career Center, and grades are recorded on both the community college transcript and this school's transcript. Community college courses that students enroll in on their own (concurrent enrollment) may require fees, and the grades are recorded only on the community college transcript |
For the grades offered and prerequisites of each course, see Courses and Course Selection; for math pathways, see Math Pathways; for AP courses and pass rates by subject, see AP Course List and Pass Rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Irvine family use an interdistrict transfer to enroll a student at Laguna Beach High School?
Essentially no. The Laguna Beach Unified School District website states that all incoming interdistrict transfer requests are denied, with only two exceptions: a parent is a full-time permanent employee of the district, or a student who completed grade 11 at Laguna Beach High School and then moved out of the district is applying to return for grade 12. Even if an Irvine Unified School District family obtains a release from its own district, the request is denied at the Laguna Beach Unified School District stage. The only way to enroll is to move within the district boundaries; registration requires a residency affidavit and two proofs of address, and the district verifies residency again before each school year begins.
Irvine families should note: are honors courses weighted at Laguna Beach High School, and how does this differ from the Irvine Unified School District?
Most are weighted. The Laguna Beach High School 2026-27 course catalog marks each course as weighted or not: all AP courses, along with honors courses such as English 10 Honors, Algebra 2 Honors, Integrated Science 2 Honors, Spanish 4 Honors, and Mandarin Chinese 4 Honors, add 1 point for grades of C or higher; English 9 Honors, Spanish 2 Honors, and Spanish 3 Honors are not weighted. In the Irvine Unified School District, honors courses are not weighted, and only AP courses and some fourth- and fifth-year world language courses receive added points, so the same schedule produces a different school weighted GPA in the two districts.
What GPA do Laguna Beach High School students admitted to the University of California hold?
According to UC Infocenter data from the University of California Office of the President, reported by high school of origin, the average GPA of Laguna Beach High School students admitted for fall 2025 was: UC San Diego 4.23, UC Santa Barbara 4.23, UC Irvine 4.20, UCLA 4.20, UC Berkeley 4.18, UC Davis 4.17, and 4.06 systemwide. This is the UC weighted, capped GPA for grades 10 to 11 and is the average of admitted students, not an admission cutoff.
Does Laguna Beach High School publish class rank?
Yes. Laguna Beach High School calculates class rank using the academic weighted GPA (which excludes physical education and certain support courses); the School Profile calls this RIC (Rank in Class) and publishes the minimum GPA for each percentile band of the class of 2025: 4.62 for the top 2%, 4.44 for the top 10%, 4.30 for the top 30%, and 3.79 for the top 50%. The Irvine Unified School District does not rank students, which is one difference in the grade context the two districts provide to colleges.
Laguna Beach High School has only 820 students. How does the small size affect college planning?
There are three effects. First, course offerings are not limited: Laguna Beach High School offers 27 AP courses, but many courses run only one section, and in 2025 AP Chinese and AP French each had only 9 students enrolled. Second, the School Profile shows an average class size of 22 and a counselor-to-student ratio of 208:1. Third, many cells in the official UC data are withheld because the numbers are too small; enrollment counts for UC Merced, UC Riverside, and most campuses are often blank, so the data should be read mainly at the systemwide level and for campuses with larger numbers.
Where do Laguna Beach High School graduates go?
According to the class of 2025 destinations published in the Laguna Beach High School School Profile 2025-26, 67% enrolled at four-year colleges, 22% at two-year community colleges, 3% at technical or vocational schools, and 5% at institutions abroad, while 2% took a gap year and 1% entered military service. These figures are reported by the school. Official UC data show that for fall 2025, 91 students from the school applied to the University of California, 58 were admitted to at least one campus, and 32 ultimately enrolled.
